Exercise Reduces Fat In The Blood-until You Stop

Q-I know from experience that regular exercise can cause a person to lose fat from the body. But what about losing fat from the blood? Isn`t it the fat in the blood that`s responsible for someone having a heart attack?

A-Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that a program of regular exercise can decrease the amount of fat in the bloodstream. As you indicate, this can reduce the likelihood of heart disease. But the exercise must be continued if the beneficial effects are to continue. If the exercise is stopped, the amount of fat in the bloodstream will return to the level before the start of exercise.

Q-My doctor recommends that I wear an identification bracelet because I have diabetes. What could a bracelet tell someone that I couldn`t tell them myself?

A-The purpose an identification bracelet is to provide physicians and other health-care personnel with information that the patient is unable to provide because he or she may be unconscious or incoherent.

As a diabetic, you know how important it is to keep your condition under control. Conversely, you know what might happen if a patient is unable to do so. Insulin shock may result from taking too much insulin, exercising excessively or skipping meals. On the other hand, diabetic coma is a possibility if the patient takes too little insulin, does not exercise or eats too much, especially of the wrong foods.

A physician who sees a patient under either of these conditions might mistakenly assume that the patient is drunk, has been abusing drugs, or, possibly, has had a head injury. In any event, there is some danger that the treatment given such a patient could complicate the underlying condition-in this case, the diabetes. An ID bracelet can help avoid such a mistake.

Q-I attended an introductory class at a health club that I`m thinking of joining, and the instructor spoke of the benefits we would get from it, including muscle strength and muscle endurance. But he didn`t explain what he meant by these terms. Would you please fill me in?

A-Muscle strength refers to the amount of work a muscle can do, such as lifting a weight. Muscle endurance refers to the extent to which a person can continue an activity, such as running.

Q-I`ve heard the word stroke used to describe a number of conditions. And the people who had the stroke seemed to be different from each other. Is a stroke anything that affects the brain? If a person happens to have a stroke, does that mean he is likely to have another one?

A-Stroke refers to an interruption in the flow of blood to the brain or to a hemorrhage. The cause may be a broken blood vessel or the narrowing of an artery, which interferes with blood reaching the brain.

A person who survives one stroke has an increased chance of having another one.

Q-I learned in my biology class that there are always lots of bacteria in the body, and that some of them are good for you. But if someone takes medicine, it can`t tell the difference between good bacteria and bad bacteria. What happens to the good bacteria if someone is taking medicine?

A-You are correct that some bacteria are beneficial. For example, large numbers of bacteria live in the intestinal tract, where they aid digestion. These bacteria survive because they usually develop some resistance to antibiotic therapy.

Q-It has been obvious to me for a long time that doctors don`t like to prescribe steroids unless they are absolutely necessary. Why are doctors so reluctant to use them?

A-The use of steroids is associated with a number of adverse side effects, including the development of cataracts, diabetes and osteoporosis.

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Dr. Solomon`s column appears in Tempo on Mondays and Fridays. If you have a medical question, write to him at P.O. Box 36184, Baltimore, Md. 21285-6184. Dr. Solomon cannot give personal replies, but will answer as many questions as possible in his column.